Muslims around the world are celebrating the holy month of Ramadan with a period of fasting, prayer and personal reflection.
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Muslims around the world are celebrating the holy month of Ramadan with a period of fasting, prayer and personal reflection.
The ninth month of the Islamic calendar, Ramadan commemorates the revelation of the Holy Quran, the Muslim holy book, to the Prophet Muhammad. The holiday began at sundown on March 10 and ends at sundown on April 9.
During the month, families fast from sunrise to sundown and then join together to break the fast with a meal called Iftar. Fasting is one of the five pillars of the Islamic faith. The others are prayer, faith, charity, and making the Hajj, the pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia.
Ramadan occurs on different dates each year because the Islamic calendar is a lunar one with 29-30 days in the month. Each year, the holiday arrives 10 to 12 days earlier than the previous one. Last year, Ramadan, Passover and Easter overlapped in a rare occurrence on the calendar that happens about every 27 years, for several years in a row.
The holy month will end with a celebration called Eid al-Fitr when families and communities join together to break the fast, exchange gifts and say special prayers.
